The Osceola times., 1887-08-13
A DISAPPOINTED BIRD.
How Predatory Eagle Caught
q Tartar"

In talking with friend one day, our
conversation turned upon the instinct
of animals. and their remarkable sagac-
ity in arriving at results which could
scarcely be attained without the exer-
else of what seems 10 be, at least, n
limited degree of reason.
Among other things mentioned the
case Of pair of gray eagles, that for
many years built their nests and rear
ed their young in the forkcd top of a
very large sycamore tree, that grew in
the forest which lined the bank of the
Mississippi river, not far from where
we lived, though on the opposite side,
for we lived in Iowa, and the tree stood
in illinois.
The tree was very giant of its kind,
such as are not at all uncommon on the
"bottom lands of the Mississippi and
It's tributaries, and was straight and
smooth for nearly hundred feet from
the grounl
There it threw out three large
branches or forks, and in this con-
venient place. which not even squir-
rel could reach by climbing, these
eagles had built their huge nest Of
sticks and mud and rushes.
Not n few men and boys tried to
capure or shoot one of the huge birds.
The tree was so large and smooth--it
was nearly five feet in dameter-that
they could not climb it; the nest was so
solid that no bullet would penetrate it,;
and the only way to get a shot seemed
10 be for the hunter to secrete himself
near by, and shoot the birds in their
frequent journeys to and from the
nest.
This seems to be an easy solution OF
the matter, but though the attempt
was made many times, sometimes by
persons who came before daybreak,
and secrcting themselves as they
thought securely from observation,
waited patiently all day, not an eagle
did they see, and not shot did they
get But when the coast was clear the
birds would go to the tree from their
feeding grounds, series of marshy
lakes, apparently without taking any
precaution.
Now" said ], chow did those
eagles know when it was safe TO fly
straight 10 their nest, and when to keep
away from it altogether for day at a
time?"
We'll" said my friend, IL cam tell,
of course. ho,o they know, but you
know an eagle has got sharp eye, and
can see things that you and wouldn' t
notice at all; and besides they fly so
high that they can see every thing for
miles and miles. Now ! suspect that
when those hunters were watching the
nest, those eagles were soaring up in
the air a mile high, and seeing every
thing that was going on.
Yes" said |, wishing to draw him
ont, for / was rather amused at the
case with which he, in his back-woods
way, got over the difliculty-'yes, but
how about their going there before
daylight, when one, at least, of the
birds must have been IN the nest.
WELL" said he. may be they were,
and then again may be there WASH t.
Eagles are mighty early risers. and 1
reckon they had gone after their break
fast long before your town hunters had
got to the tree. Besides If one OF
those eagles had been on the nest when
the hunter came, she'd "a smelt him,
and Just have squatted down in the
nest, and never moved feather all
day, not even if he shot the nest doz-
en- times. Why" he added, ''they We
got scent sharper than a dog, and
you can't fool them mite. that is, l
mean you can't hardiy erer fool them.
But knew an eagle once. though,
that got fooled, and fooled badly, too,
in spite of his instinct, or sagacity, or
whatever you've mind to call it,
How was that?" | asked, for he had
been an old hunter, and ! knew there
was yarn coming that he was aching
TO tell.
Well" said he. al don't mind tell
ing you how it was, for l guess you
won't make fun of it; but don't tell it
to everybody. 1t does look like a
purity tough story. But it's true for
all that, for saw it myself.
at was nigh onto forty years ago,
when was just chunk Of boy, that
it happened. My father owned farm
down near the Ohio river, and he kept
quite lot Of sheep. for bis land was